A Shadow's Envy
by NuttersAscend
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi finds himself at the opposite of a dead copy of himself a lot. But regardless of his feelings about that, the universe moves on. Things should be fine if it was just the copy dying, but he's not the one belonging in that universe. But should he leave just for that reason? Does he even want to? Why's he there in the first place? (revamped,check profile for details)
1. I'd kill to be you

Khr ain't mine

I hope you enjoy the story

Go ahead and let me know what you think bout it via PMs or reviews

* * *

 **Chapter 1**

 **I'd kill to be you**

Sawada Tsunayoshi was your dime a dozen kid that was pretty much bullied for messing other people's style by pretty much existing. So he was given a charming nickname, 'Dame-Tsuna'

(You can practically taste the love of that!)

He was pretty clumsy, and as a result, played the harbinger of doom to the activities of many people. He had the self-awareness to realize that, especially when said people had to point it out loudly- every single day, every moment in his life.

But he did not know how he managed to get into his current predicament.

He looked at the person who slumped in front of him and briefly wondered if he was dreaming of a reality where he had strangely become popular. Because the unconscious man in front of him clearly was cosplaying him. The other looked so strangely alike to him. He had brown colored hair that similarly defied gravity with the same skin color. The only thing that was different was that the other was in his pajamas...

Wait, why was he in someone else's bedroom?

He looked around to see a reasonably posh bedroom in what he assumed was an upper-class residence or a mansion of some sorts. The night was still young so he could panic in peace.

But then he couldn't believe that he was in someone's bedroom in the first place. He was pretty much a loner, not by his own volition, and had never been invited into someone's house never mind getting into someone's bed. It made his cheeks flare at the thought that, that special moment was with a guy who, adding to insult, chose to go to sleepy land with sheep and such instead of being here.

He thought that the real world was much more interesting at the moment since the guy was with a random stranger who was freaking out and running around the very expensive suite.

Speaking of the guy, he hadn't moved an inch from when he'd been moving the room's stuff around, hoping for a clue that would indicate why he was there in the first place. There weren't any of his belongings here so he hadn't been invited.

But he wouldn't have been kidnapped, because what were the chances that he'd be stuck in a room he's sure he'd never be able to afford in his lifetime and that he was utterly unrestrained and free to do whatever.

Surely he wasn't so incompetent that there was no need to do so?

He moved to the figure, albeit reluctantly, since communication got him nowhere in his life or his recipient's life. But he was so utterly confused, and a familiar reaction might help him get a little comfy in his situation. He tapped the guy's shoulder, only to get no response. Then he proceeded to nudge and whisper to him.

'This guy sure is a heavy sleeper.'

He shoved the guy, apologizing in his mind. He shut his eyes, bracing for the shouts and anger at being treated that way. But all he heard was a silent thud.

His eyes opened up in mild shock, and he dumbly shook the person. It was a situation he had never experienced before. He took his trembling fingers to the guy's throat to check for a pulse as his mind stayed in denial.

'Am I doing this wrong or is there really no pulse?!'

But he couldn't panic now and scream. He was in a bad situation. He was possibly in someone's room in their house and that someone was as dead as a doorknob. He'd get f*cking shot at or mauled if the people in the house misunderstood the situation since families and friends apparently worked that way.

He knew what he had to do. He needed information.

* * *

He turned the body and was shocked at the guy who did not in fact, just look kind of like him. It was as if he had been looking at his mirror image. His morbid curiosity made him open his eyes by force, to see the same eye color.

'Who's this guy? I've heard stories about doppelgangers, but this is just ridiculous. Wasn't it the other way around? Why's he dead? He's the copy!'

As a temporary measure, he thought he could take advantage of the fact that they looked alike. He stripped the guy off his clothes, feeling creeped out by the coldness of his skin and made him wear his clothes instead. Fumbling with the pajamas he looked around for a clock. His attention got caught by a calendar that read that it was 7 years later than he what he thought it was.

'This guy must have gotten the wrong calendar or something. He probably didn't even read it properly. So this guy's also kinda clumsy...

Maybe... he doesn't look similar to me, maybe he's just as simple as me...'

It was worth a shot. So he looked under his bed and blushed at the magazines.

'Dude, I thought you could be a bit simple. But this breaks the bar of cliché . There must be a better place to hide these... seriously.'

His face flamed, but he was naught but a simple middle schooler. Those magazines were justice! So he could give a peek, just a little one. He was a growing, healthy middle schooler after all.

He crawled underneath the bed and opened the magazines, to see words upon words.

'The guys from school always looked so excited when they peeked into these kind of books... I thought I could finally see what's in these that are so great. The covers are so misleading.

Is this just some random light novel?'

"Tch. That's so boring-

Wait... Is this a diary?"

He looked above in the direction of the corpse, only to see wood. This guy was an eccentric. Who writes in diaries with such a stimulating cover?

The diary didn't go on an on about the person's life, so it didn't hint much about the person's personality from the writing style. But it was full of plans for birthdays, picnics and such.

'This guy must have a lot of friends... His schedule is more booked than mine'll ever be.

What kind of name is reborn?! Wait, a baseball tournament with Takeshi?

Do Takeshis love baseball in general? There's even a Ryohei here... give a vacation to spend with Kyoko? This guy must be close friends with Namimori's popular...'

"Wtf?! Since when did Hibari Kyoya have friends?!"

'Think properly Sawada Tsunayoshi. There can be another Kyoya. Just because he seems to know popular people from Namimori, doesn't mean he knows all the well known ones-'

"...notify C.. EDEF that Iemitsu will take a vacation with kaa-san..."

'Iemitsu's my dad's name right?...

What's going on? It can't be right...?'

He got out of the bed and looked at his companion contemplatively, but ultimately decided to postpone any conclusions until he could get out of there.

It wasn't the first time getting out of a house through a window, so maybe... He looked out of the window to see that it looked like it was five floors high.

'Nope. Nope. Nope. I'm not risking it'

If there was a mansion with a scenery like that in Namimori, he was sure he would have at least heard of it by now... So even if he, by some miracle survived the fall down a mansion- he'd be chased or he'll be running to some unknown place he'd have problems navigating through.

'Was there a rich, powerful guy in Namimori that made friends with the popular kids who no one talked about that coincidentally looked like me?

Man, if that was the case, I've hit a new low...'

He moped around a bit, shuffling the books in the bookcase that had the most ridiculous of contents.

"How to make a DIY UFO crop circle?"

"How strong can a baby get?"

"Hair whisperer: How to tame your out of control hair."

To be fair, he spent ten minutes on the last one.

* * *

Tsuna looked at the mahogany door, wondering if he could explore other areas. He was surprised to see that the door wasn't locked. He pulled the man off the bed and shoved him under the bed.

'I never thought I'd be acting the role of those villains in the movie... but yeah...

I've always been Dame-Tsuna. What's adding 'hiding a dead body' to the stuff I managed to do gonna change anything...'

The door lead to an office room and the desk near the windows confirmed his implausible suspicion.

There was a nameplate on the desk with his name on it. The table was sleek and there were guest sofas and bean bags around a glass table with glass blown designs with shining gems embedded in it.

There were fancy lava lamps near the desk and the wall paper looked elegant.

It looked like the boss' office. And in this twisted reality, he was the boss in an establishment.

He went up to the desk and opened the drawers to see manila folders with files that were complex and involved organizations and board committees that were seen in televisions and some other companies he thought were probably big looking at the fancy logos and branches listed.

'Just what I need, he's the crème at the top, big cheese...

He's swiss cheese now and I'm the prime witness and no butler of his. Maybe that'll help... I wish...'  
He looked around for any indication of what kind of company it was.

'Vongola constructions? Can that kind of company even get these kind of contacts? Isn't that my dad's company?

So he's my dad's boss?... My dad's boss?!'

He gave a fearful glance at the door.

'I've done it now!... Is dad going to get fired for this?!

What's with tonight?! How have things gone so wrong?!'

He ran to the bedroom searching for CCTV cameras. When he came to his senses, the room looked like a partial wreck, so he hurried and put them in to places that made some semblance of order.

'Well if there are no cameras in the bedroom, maybe there are some in the office...'

Strangely enough, there weren't any cameras in the office either.

'Why isn't there proper security in the office? There are no signs of cut wires or dust outlines from placed cameras... It's good for me, I guess...'

He looked at the exit door uncomfortably.

'But I can't leave now... Especially if this is the company my dad works at...

How many people can run out a mansion looking exactly like its owner and not get traced?...'

He sat at the guest bean cushion and shrunk into himself to hide his tenseness. His eyes drooped as he fell more tired and he looked towards the bedroom and mussed.

"At least one of us can rest in peace."


	2. Zero to hero

Khr ain't mine

Thanks for reviewing, TealP0nd ^o^. I've got a bunch of ideas for the story, so you can look forward to seeing it continue for a pretty long time

I hope you like the story

Feel free to write how you felt regarding it

* * *

 **Chapter 2**

 **Zero to Hero**

Tsuna, should have, in retrospect really examined his office drawer. If he did so, he wouldn't have been so optimistic that the switcharoo would actually work.

A guy who looks exactly like him but more successful? What could possibly go wrong.

For one thing, apparently, it was strange as hell that 'he' would choose to lock himself in a room instead of joining in for breakfast with the rest of the family.

His maid (wait, the guy actually has maids and butlers? Is it like his maid cafe fetishes carried over or something?) looked at him suspiciously. Well yeah, the master of the house apparently sleeps on the guest bean bags instead of, I don't know, his freaking bed.

Then you know something's up.

'Come up with something fast, Dame-Tsuna!'

"Lovely day we're having, right? Birds are singing, flowers are blooming with crystal-like dews..."

He turned his head to see the curtains closed, from end to end. His maid took pity on his floundering, to his utmost embarrassment.

"Yes, the forecast said we'll be seeing clear skies, and the temperature's not too warm or hot. We've set up breakfast downstairs. Please don't forget about it in... your... appreciation of natural beauty" she said looking dubiously at the closed curtains.

He blushed scarlet at that.

He couldn't have done that smoother! Congratulations, he fit here faster than a baseball with a glove.

There was a bigger obstacle here. He looked towards the door

'Could she possibly be hinting at the possibility that this guy has breakfast with people? Why couldn't he be a prick who has breakfast in bed, gosh darn it!

I can't be a functional human being with the people around me, how can I get along with people I've never met before?!'

But he had to face the light and meet his maker, because standing here is no solution, unfortunately.'

As he headed downstairs via a spiraling staircase, he thought.

'What's the point of this staircase, it just increases the time to get a floor below. But, wait a minute... In my case, it's like giving me time before I face the gallows...

Thank you, Mr. staircase, for your mercy!'

There were people in maid and butler costumes moving around the floor, and two of them were setting up the table, the ones found in a noble's house or from that Dracula movie.

'No way in hell will I sit there.'

In his desperation, he turned to the maid setting things up.

"It's all right if you don't set things up! I mean it's only me, and that's just more work, right? Maybe we can just eat at the... kitchen. Yeah, let's all eat at the kitchen instead."

Because he'd die of heart attack if he were to eat in that long table with chandeliers on top of it and crystal plates with goblets as glasses. Even if his kage bunshin was richie rich, he was perfectly fine being the court jester, thank you very much!

* * *

"Tsuna-sama... That's right, isn't it... With your guardians on missions, parents on vacation and Dino-sama and Reborn-sama with the Millefiore right now... The table feels awfully lonely."

'Who on earth are they? It sounds like a B movie plot or something. Rich dude in a mansion has guardians and affiliations with a mafia sounding famiglia. But suddenly, dun dun dun! He gets pwned by the mafia famiglia while the guardians have something to do. Then a civilian pops up in the scene... Wait, actually if this were a movie, I'd buy popcorn to that

But I'd rather not be the lead!'

Another one popped up and grabbed his hand to her chest. Tsuna had to control every nerve in his body to not flinch and give things away. He did not do touch!

More like he was Medusa: Touch ver (Sounds like an app)

"You don't have to feel lonely, Tsuna-sama! We, maid and butlers, are here for you! So, let's go and eat shall we?"

He did play a lot of games from his never-ending loneliness and knew enough to recognize maid moe right there, but what was happening was horror material. Because the two petite maids were dragging him to the kitchen when he was bursting in flames from the close proximity touch from humanity. He had a certain tolerance to humans, but he's reached that threshold by now. So if he could please get his wish granted right now, could he hole up in his bean bag and let his cheeks go back to their normal color?

Tsuna got dragged into a lot of things, either physically or accidentally. This time, he was pulled by two petite women into a kitchen. This, he did not mind, even if it meant that these ladies might cook him in a pot... Wait, pot? Lying at the center of the kitchen was a pot, no... cauldron, and for the life of him, he could not figure why on earth was it there.

There were suspicious herbs that screamed poison, and he wondered who was the eccentric who used them here. He hoped that he wouldn't be subjected to whatever someone would brew out of it (Tough luck, Tsuna)

There was a stew brewing, so naturally, he served the food onto the plates and passed them around, then a light bulb moment hit him.

'Wait, shouldn't these guys be doing that? Shoot, I've done something the master of the place wouldn't-'

Only to see them munching on the food in the plate. That guy did this normally? What a strange dude, it's like he treats the people working in the mansion as friends.

"Tsuna-sama *munch munch* why're you speaking to us in Japanese anyway?"

He whipped his head around to face the maid... uh, casually...

"I get what you mean Lisa- He normally speaks us in Italian."

'Wait, wtf?!'

"You took so long to listen to a suggestion I made, once upon a time. What's the change of heart?"

"I remember! You told us 'Since Italian is the language we've grown up with, and we're living in our home, Italy. So it'll be much better if I spoke Italian instead'. It was so cute!"

'Holy f*ck. I'm in Italy?! These guys expect me to speak Italian?! I can't speak English properly, and my Japanese is still horrible according to my grades and these guys want me to know another language?!'

"...Ah, sorry about that. It's just that, I've been feeling a bit homesick."

'What bullsh*t! We're living in the era of skype and cell phones!'

"Oh... That's right. It must feel strange, not being able to call your mother daily, now that the two are exploring the Amazon jungle. Internet reception is bad there."

'Why on earth did they go there?! Normally people go to Paris or something for a romantic respite in the extreme case! I thought they'd be touring Okinawa or something!'

"Young love is beautiful, isn't it? They go for such romantic adventures~" they sighed wistfully.

'If being young consists of gathering enough courage to go to jungles with man-eating piranhas and predators with disease infecting insects all round, not sparing you when you eat, sleep or bathe.

I'm a 200-year-old geezer!'

"Speaking of which, you've also been somewhere similar right? Namimori's death mountain. That mountain can hold a dozen candles to the Amazon jungle, right?"

"It can light a forest fire to the jungle if what I saw in the documentary is right-"

'There's no one insane enough to actually go there- Wait, what?! The owner is bat sh*t crazy.'

"My, you must be so brave back then too. Since Reborn-sama took you to train there at 13. Seven years later, you people are still quite the daredevils! You guys should think about what we feel too!"

'Correction: Reborn and this guy are bat sh*t crazy. I hope the day when I face this Reborn never come...'

* * *

Breakfast was the most fun he had in his life and that told a lot about him... But when he went back to the bedroom, he looked at the figure and contemplated.

'This guy's twenty even if we look alike, huh? Well, you can't have everything, I guess. Maybe I'll have more luck in my twenties and finally hit a growth spurt.'

The body looked a bit pinkish, and the room stunk a bit, so he felt a bit worried. Tsuna took out the room fresher tablets and surrounded the body with them.

"That should take care of it!"

He then looked around the bookcase for a book on Italian languages.

'No Learning Italian for dummies, huh?'

He was stuck in a country far from Japan in a place where either homicide took place, or he was involved in it for some reason. His parents were out in Amazon so he couldn't contact them for advice. So he was out here, warming up to people who were a dead person's family, impersonating as him...

Way to throw him to the dogs, universe.

But it wasn't like he could just surrender to his fate, right? He didn't know when the people who were dear to this person will appear. Then he's got no choice but learn more about him, right? But first, he must be as close as possible to 'normal'

He would have to fit the shoes of a person who the world would consider as life's winner, while he was the bottom rung. But he had a fighting chance.

So he spent his free time, trying to learn a foreign language from its common phrases.

Soon the sun set, and the moon peaked out informing him that it was time to reflect on whether he could fight or not.

Of all the 100s of phrases he tried to cram in, he could... unfortunately remember only one;

"Ti Amo"

'That probably shouldn't be said in this residence.'

He could practically see it in the headlines! He would go blurt it out to a maid and probably start a scandal ending with them eloping to Japan or something. The only flaw he could see with the master of the house was that he was a shrimp, but that would be the pot calling kettle black.

But maybe it's better for last resort since the guy is my Dad's boss who coincidentally has my name, looks like me but is twenty years old which was probably screaming at him that he ought to be the greatest idiot in the world to believe they weren't the same, despite different ages.

His mind told him the odds of finding a person who looked like they were your clone with their name and lived in Namimori and had a mother whose husband was Iemitsu were probably astronomically low. Wasn't there a saying 'If it looks like a duck and acts like a duck, it's a duck'? Though, he wasn't sure that he acted like the master. But it should mean something if he could get away with pretending to be like him today, right?

If they were the same, does that mean he was this Sawada Tsunayoshi's doppelganger? Because... in this world where 'he' apparently reached success...

He was the inferior copy, wasn't he?


End file.
